Mech Cloud: Son of an Evil Emporer
by Thornbrier
Summary: The heir to the Coalition has a series of communications with his friends as he transitions from the Coalition to supporting magic. This is some of my older work, part of an assignment back in high school.
1. Chapter 1

_I wrote these as part of a school assignment where we had to use specific word sets and proper citation of books, movies, and such. To make it fun, I wrote the assignments set in Rifts Earth (well, the version I GMed at the time). __Only character mentioned in here I've ever played is Shame of Thunder and Glass, my Kancoran Battle Magus Controller._

Dear Emperor Prosek.

Just between you and me, I hate calling you that, father. Anyway, I am writing to you in the hopes of you being willing to agree to lend me an APC, four SAMAS, a substantial amount of money, and some kind of new identity for me and my friends. I wish to borrow these items and services for a trip with friends somewhere into the wilds of the New West.

As you well know, I don't want to be anywhere near your Coalition. I have less respect for you and those that agree with you then any sort of D-Bee that may come through the Rifts from nowhere. Accept it father, I should've left long ago, I just couldn't find any way out.

As if we could agree on anything other then my poor life style, except that my brother would make a better Emperor after you then I. Now I give you the chance to let him take my place. Among my friends and I we have fewer credits than a house 'Borge.

I know how you like to operate. When we leave, you can play your little extortion game with their families. Promising to send people to look for us if they work for you, knowing full well that your men will never find us. After you claim us dead Joseph can take my place at your side and I can live and explorer's life in the sparse lands of the west with some good friends.

In a few years we can return and give you all the info on the west we collect. It would be a good investment on your part. Have the son you wanted at your side, powerful families at your heels, four fewer rich party kids in the clubs, and in a few years, good, reliable info on the 'New West' as they call it. All for some minor military hardware and a few million cred's.


	2. Chapter 2

Audio/Visual file

Sent to: Brenen Chartevski

Sent from: Michal Prosek

C/O Coalition Central Audio Net

"The solution to never having to read."

"First we travel to the capital of Lone Star and pick up our APC and other stuff behind the capitol building. It's already striped of its military markings, but I have some other modifications to make to it for the desert."

"I hear there is a place that can do to it what we need, and they're serving great desserts in the front. I know who's going to love that. One of the guns on the APC moves too slowly, it's almost stationary. We need to lose the military feel inside too, if we are going to live in it."

"After all that, we take your parents stationery to this school here, whose students are their cousins. Then it's just two miles west and we can cut loose and desert the Coalition for good, and in the desert, just after having dessert. Man that is good.

"You know, that's my principal principle. I thought you would like that joke. WE love to have fun. Whether we return or not, I think this trip is going to be the funnest, longest lasting thing we have ever done. I know funnest ain't no word, but'n we gon'a live in them thar western towns, you're gon'a gots ta learn ta talk all westerny ur theyz gon'a be callin ya a green horn."

"Truth be told, RECON reports that they don't talk that way. Well, most don't. They also said the weather should hold until we get to the fabled Grand Canyon, if it survived the Great Cataclysm. It's hard to think that anything could look grander then looking in at Chi-Town from the top of its walls. I once even saw the Capitol building from the walls. Rebuilt in exacting detail to the one the American Empire had 500 years ago."

"Heading out, see ya Bren."


	3. Chapter 3

Dear Shaildin,

I regret that I could not bring this message to you in person, but I had to leave the Coalition for good. Soon my brother will sit on the throne of the Empire, and I can bet you he will not remember that it was I that set him there. He will raise his hand and wipe me from Rifts Earth. He can't bear competition of any kind.

He will take his power and rise up to destroy all that oppose him. The bodies of Wizards, Psychics, D-bees, and monsters alike will lie, rotting in the sunlight, with all others that do not submit to his rule. Well, my friends and I will not be laid among them.

Father has let us go. We will lie low in the New West. There we will learn new things, and we might even teach some people as well. If you learn some useful skills you too may come with us.

So far, we have traveled twelve days, but I will never forget the first. Father did not give us what we wanted. He did not want us to be traced back to the Coalition for fear that D-Bees would kill us on sight. There was no Coalition APC waiting for us in Lone Star.

Not to worry though. Father got us an even better APC from some other world. Better weapons, better speed, even a bigger inside. We practically live in an apartment/tank. The SAMAS were replaced by two Glitter Boys, some hover boards, and a few hover-cycles and lots of weapons.

In Lone Star we got Multi-Optic Eyes and Headjacks with radio and translators. Some of the guys got additional arms and armor plating. I wanted to use the GB, so I didn't get anything that sticks out abnormally, though I did get some vibro-blades that come out of my wrists and an amplified ear.

Gamason got a mutant from Star Labs. It almost got us killed when it ran off in the desert yesterday. He ran into a ghost town and the ghosts were not happy to be awoken. Lucky for us, a D-Bee that looked like a cross between a man and a bird came and saved us. Those Sky-Knights are beautiful fighters, and their M-A-G-I-C is awesome. I have started learning some things from her. You know the stuff, Father calls it, "the Greatest Evil of all things supernatural." My bionic implants only hinder spell casting a bit, but my psionic powers are helping me understand her better.

Father was such a hypocrite. If the general public knew how powerful a psionic he was they would run him out. Did you know that he even uses his powers to convince people to do what he wants them to, and they all think it was their idea?

You may join us if you wish. Just come to the Grand Canyon and wait for a golden scaled Lyn-Srial to come get you. If you are nice and tell him that a student called for you, then he will bring you to Tryth-Sal. The feeling of rising into the air and landing on a solid cloud is great.

Your dear friend and soon to be Cloud Weaver,

Michal Prosek. Or as they call me here, Mech Cloud.

P.S.: Just to warn you, it is more majestic than Chi-Town. The peace you feel here is wonderful. The M-A-G-I-C power here keeps you safe from the real evil. I write this to you as I lie on a cloud with my beloved instructor just at the edge of breathable air. If that's not M-A-G-I-C then I don't know what is.


	4. Chapter 4

"**Old Reunions: Part Four"**

"Shaildin, good to see you again," said the humanoid thundercloud as he set down on the ground. "It has been almost forever since I have seen you."

"Well, I would claim the same, but I have yet to 'see' you. All I see is a thundercloud that has my friend's voice, and I think his scent too."

As the cloud dispersed, a figure was revealed. "Sorry old friend," Mech Cloud said as he gave his lupine friend a large hug to match his large size. "You just happen to have come during the competitions. I gave up the golden crown to see you. Care to come watch, this is one of the strongest storm fronts we have had in years?"

"I'm not much into spectator sports. Wait now, what is this?" as he grabed Mech's head for a better look. "I was told you had to get rid of all Bionics to be a spell caster. That's how you can be sure that someone isn't one to mess around in the supernatural. How do you still have your eye and this jack?"

Partially feigning anger, Mech Cloud sprang out his arm blades and shoved the DogBoy away from him. "Antani sholem, Sal! Tryth-Sal iesh!" the words screeched from his throat as he moved his cloud-covered hands in mystical gestures. Moments later a mist swept in and enveloped the two.

"Where are you? Where am I for that matter? Michal?" the poor bewildered lupine called out in frustration. He suddenly felt four blades press lightly on his throat as his arms were held behind him.

"Does it look like I had to have them removed?" Mech said as his left eye emited a laser through the mists from over Shaildin's shoulder. "Even here in the clouds my multi-optic lets me see your body heat, my blades can cut through solid rock, and I can uplink to any weapons system or device and know what's wrong with it. It is true, bionics interfere with magic, but that can be overcome."

"OK, I got the point. Now can you let go? And where are we?"

"Oh, right," he said as he let go of his good friend. "I simply cast a Cloud Haven. We use it to protect others and ourselves from attackers. That, and time in here moves half the speed it does down on the surface."

"Yeah, 'simply,'" he said rubbing his throat and wrists. "So, I see you have been training for a few years. What else have you done? Killed any dragons?" the wolfman laughed at his own lame joke.

"No, but I have made friends with a few," the wolfish laughter stopped abruptly. "Several live along the Grand Canyon. I can introduce you to some if you want. In fact, Mysrial and I have a tea date with a Wyvern tomorrow."

"A Wyvern? As in the largest of all Dragons? No thanks, I'm just getting used to having a frined that does magic. Who was that that was going with you?"

"You mean Mysrial, She's my wife, or 'mate' as her people say it. She was the SkyKnight that saved my life five years ago. She also taught me most of my magic."

"You married a Lyn-Srial? Does that even work?"

A mischievous smirk grew across his face, "With magic anything is possible. Now, will you take me up on my offer? We could use another spotter on the team, and I can make a surfboard for you, and armor. Some times the players do get hit by lightning."

"And you survive this game? Dude, a Walker once hit me with lightning, armor was fried and I got to know the Intensive Care staff a little too well."

With his trademark arrogance, Mech Cloud floanted, "I've been hit four times just this last season. Furthermore, I've played for four years. Every storm we get here we use to play. This season has been the best since I started playing."

"Thought you came five years back, why'd ya wait a year?"

"Well, I wanted to understand the principles of the magic I was risking my life on. But for the last four years I've felt that this is the only home I have ever had. The Coalition was never my home, and moving from place to place didn't feel right." He unwove his spell and the two friends found themselves back at the edge of the Grand Canyon where they had started their conversation. "Now, I have the largest skies in this world, all to call home."

A screech emanated from the dark storm clouds overhead, "What was that? One of your friends?"

"Na, don't know the new ref well yet, but that was the announcement of the next round of competitions. SKRIAAAAA!" he yelled unexpectedly at the clouds. "You coming up?"

"What do I have to loose, aside from my life?"

"Well, you could find a girlfriend, some good looking Wolfen girls live in Tryth-Sal you know."

Thus we leave our friends, learning and accepting new things in life. What will happen with them next? Will Shaildin finally start to accept magic? Will Mech Cloud's team win the competition? Will anyone realize that our hero has an almost Scottish name? You won't find out next time in, "Shame of Thunder and Glass: Part One."


	5. Chapter 5

**Re: Hey Man, what books and stuff have you read/seen out there?**

When I sent my short autobiography, "The son of an Evil Emperor" over the net my father was glad that only 50% of the people who got it could read. Even fewer opened it thinking it might be a Loyalist Trap.

You remember, like that file some years ago that father sent out, Chapter Two: "The Basics of Magic." As soon as people opened it the cops had their location and arrest them for, Code 9, Subsection 11, Paragraph 01, "Attempting to learn the Great Evil."

Yes, I read both of those as well. In fact, I have read the entire Law and Order in the Coalition States and it's Territories and Magic for Dummies. Although, here in Tryth-Sal there are books that are far better than anything written in the Coalition.

I had a great time reading Chronicles and Ages of Vi-Riial, but I most loved the first story, "Foretelling of the Raging Skies." The Raging Skies happened only seven years back, but it was written over nine thousand years ago.

"The Chronicles," as they are sometimes referred to here, are in many ways similar to the old Bible of the Jews. It tells of a creation, the world becoming evil, some of the Lyn-Srial made a raft to survive a flood. Then the water took them up to the Islands of the Air. That last part reminds me of something out of Revelations or some other book in there. Remember "All the Isles of the Sea?"

Because of that idea I wrote an article by the same name in the Seasonal Skies. Most people here have never even seen a sea or an ocean, and I have only seen them on vids from the Golden Age. So one year I rafted down the river and made two movies. The first was on the trip down, called Lord of the Rivers, and the second, when I got there, was Big Brother: River of the World. Before I made that film the Lyn-Srial always thought an Ocean was just a big river, and the Colorado was supposed to be a 'normal' river.

The first I named after a play done in the lower levels of Chi-Town, Lord of the Rings. The story of how normal humans overcome the evils of the supernatural. The second was named for a song the bards tell about how the government sees everything you do ("Big Brother"), combined with a poem the Lyn-Srial sing about how the rivers watch over us ("Brother River, See us the World Over"). I felt it worked out well.

I heared it was even reviewed on the Silvereno TV show "Fennudi Fennodi Talks High Society Stuff." For now I do things for Lyn-Sradio's "Cloud Surfing: Coach on the Off Season," and I won the New Ambassadorial Anthem contest with my entry Fallen Sun, Open Skies.

This place, Tryth-Sal, is so artistic. They even have a name for each and every building as they are all works of art. I live in Towering Cliff Arms, a part of the wall that reaches out into the canyon like four great stone arms of a Lyn-Srial. The upper arms are even complete with a silky field of magic energy simulating the wings. My apartment is on the top thumb on the upper right hand.

Come visit some time, you would love the library and the plays. The architecture, as I have said, is the most exquisite I have ever seen. The people are friendly, and your old friend Shaildin now lives here. In fact, he lives in the thumb across from me.

Your Friend,

Mech Cloud the Cloudweaver

P.S. You may want to buy a jetpack if you don't want to rely on others to keep up with us. Shaildin had a partial Borg conversion with one built into his upper back. We do a lot of flying together now.

Oh, don't mention fox's or golems around him, he just had a bad break up with a visiting Kancoran by the name of FoxFighter. Apparently he insulted her true name, 'Shame of Thunder and Glass,' and her golem beat him up.


End file.
